My M37 is killing my iPods

[DallasM37]

Long time Lexus driver and bought an M37 back in August. Love the car except it has just killed its second iPod.

The first Nano (either 4th or 5th generation, am not sure) worked fine for about 7 months. Occasionally I would be prompted on the car's screen to "Check USB or iPod" but all I had to do was unplug it and plug it back in and it would work fine. Then it stopped responding to this workaround. I'd plug it into the USB jack, it would be recognized and all the playlists and tracks appeared on the dash, but when I tried to play something I'd get the "Check USB or iPod" message.

So I bought a new 6th generation Nano. It only worked for about 10 days before it did the same thing. Now it won't work in the car either. Both iPods still work fine with headphones though.

The service tech tried it in another Infiniti and got the same thing, "Check USB or iPod." They say that no one has reported this issue before. The service tech quoted the manual to me where it said that the car was certified to work with 1st-4th gen iPods with XXX firmware, and asked me what mine was. All I could tell him is that they were the iPod Nano's that Apple was selling in Aug '10 and Feb '11.

Any suggestions? All input would be welcome.

Thanks!

[nissangirl74]

You have a 6th generation iPod Nano. Something isn't compatible or they wouldn't keep blowing up. Good luck.

[kluken]

Long time Lexus driver and bought an M37 back in August. Love the car except it has just killed its second iPod.

The first Nano (either 4th or 5th generation, am not sure) worked fine for about 7 months. Occasionally I would be prompted on the car's screen to "Check USB or iPod" but all I had to do was unplug it and plug it back in and it would work fine. Then it stopped responding to this workaround. I'd plug it into the USB jack, it would be recognized and all the playlists and tracks appeared on the dash, but when I tried to play something I'd get the "Check USB or iPod" message.

So I bought a new 6th generation Nano. It only worked for about 10 days before it did the same thing. Now it won't work in the car either. Both iPods still work fine with headphones though.

The service tech tried it in another Infiniti and got the same thing, "Check USB or iPod." They say that no one has reported this issue before. The service tech quoted the manual to me where it said that the car was certified to work with 1st-4th gen iPods with XXX firmware, and asked me what mine was. All I could tell him is that they were the iPod Nano's that Apple was selling in Aug '10 and Feb '11.

Any suggestions? All input would be welcome.

Thanks!

I have had numerous "electronics" related concerns with my M37, navi issues, XM traffic never worked, bluetooth issues. There was a newer software load they put on my car in Decemeber that was pre-release that did nothing exceopt seemed to change some of the voice commands, I feel it took some functionality away. I used to be able to stay in Alternate Command mode and just hit the button and say "Dial Number" and then it would allow me to speak the number I wanted to dial. Since this update if I stay in Alternate Mode and Say Dial Number it just lets me pick from the phone book. IMO Infinti software/electronics engineers suck, this car has some of the worst electronics I have seen.

[DallasM37]

You have a 6th generation iPod Nano. Something isn't compatible or they wouldn't keep blowing up. Good luck.

Actually, I tried it first with a 5th gen and after it was killed, a 6th gen (RIP).

Update: Spoke with the Service Manager when I picked the car up last night. They performed the Nav update which had no impact. He spoke with Infiniti Tech Assistance and was told that I was the third reported case nationally of this happening and they've sent the problem to Engineering.

Doesn't look good.

[kluken]

You have a 6th generation iPod Nano. Something isn't compatible or they wouldn't keep blowing up. Good luck.

Actually, I tried it first with a 5th gen and after it was killed, a 6th gen (RIP).

Update: Spoke with the Service Manager when I picked the car up last night. They performed the Nav update which had no impact. He spoke with Infiniti Tech Assistance and was told that I was the third reported case nationally of this happening and they've sent the problem to Engineering.

Doesn't look good.

I'm about done with my M37S, the electronics are so bad and Infiniti just blows me off, dealer is trying, but blames Infiniti. I call Infiniti and I just get added to a list with no follow-up. I can buy a $20K Hyundai and get this kind of service. I'm just counting the days until I can afford to unload my M37S.

[EniGmA1987]

Just so you know, if you have the iPod plugged in when you start the car it sends a surge of electricity to the iPod from the large surge of power being drawn into the car at start. This can easily kill things like iPods. These MP3 players are made as cheaply as possible at a giant warehouse in China with people working 12+ hour work days, they have no advanced surge protection and power regulation. Cowon has the best power regulation and electronics in MP3 players, but even that isnt something super amazing.

[DallasM37]

Just so you know, if you have the iPod plugged in when you start the car it sends a surge of electricity to the iPod from the large surge of power being drawn into the car at start. This can easily kill things like iPods. These MP3 players are made as cheaply as possible at a giant warehouse in China with people working 12+ hour work days, they have no advanced surge protection and power regulation. Cowon has the best power regulation and electronics in MP3 players, but even that isnt something super amazing.

That's not very comforting, but thanks for the input. I guess I should go try to find a 4th gen iPod on eBay and then try to remember to unplug it every time I turn the car off. Or maybe find some really inexpensive MP3 players because it's unlikely I'm going to remember to unplug it every time.

[DallasM37]

I'm about done with my M37S, the electronics are so bad and Infiniti just blows me off, dealer is trying, but blames Infiniti. I call Infiniti and I just get added to a list with no follow-up. I can buy a $20K Hyundai and get this kind of service. I'm just counting the days until I can afford to unload my M37S.

I drove Lexii for 16 years, and then bought a 2010 Hyundai Genesis because of the great press it had received. Big mistake, hated it. Huge engine but no personality and lacked refinement. Traded it in on the M after 4 months. It was a beating financially but I'm starting to think I may be about to do the same thing again. I'd heard rumors that Lexus was going to be doing a complete update on the GS soon. I never had this kind of issue with Lexus. Any time anything went wrong, it was fixed no questions asked. And it's not like this is the first time anyone integrated an MP3 player into an automobile. I believe they've had enough practice that they should be able to do it correctly now.

[kluken]

I personally am leaning toward going back to Acura, the 2012 TL AWD fixes most of the stlying issues, and their electonics are better than anything else I have seen. They added cooled seats and BSW and I'll save over the M and with SH-AWD it is glue on the road. I owned numerous TLs and always had a thumb drive or something hooked up 7x24 and never had issues, their BT is crystal clear and their NAV is awesome, and unlock everyone else it is fully operational while moving. Also their ELS sound system beats Infinity BOOMY Bose.

[SteveTheTech]

Just so you know, if you have the iPod plugged in when you start the car it sends a surge of electricity to the iPod from the large surge of power being drawn into the car at start. This can easily kill things like iPods. These MP3 players are made as cheaply as possible at a giant warehouse in China with people working 12+ hour work days, they have no advanced surge protection and power regulation. Cowon has the best power regulation and electronics in MP3 players, but even that isnt something super amazing.

That's not very comforting, but thanks for the input. I guess I should go try to find a 4th gen iPod on eBay and then try to remember to unplug it every time I turn the car off. Or maybe find some really inexpensive MP3 players because it's unlikely I'm going to remember to unplug it every time.

That makes sense. Ipods are painfully sensitive. I would start with replacing the cable, for some reason those cables crap out semi frequently. There have been bugs noted in the newer ipod software that make random error messages fairly commonly. There are several devices that have to work properly to keep everyone talking. The newest Apple software update had a security verification update that has caused an error with many plug in devices, on the touch interface devices but I am unaware of a change to the smaller devices.

Infiniti and Nissan pay a team of geeks to figure these issues out. If there is anything relevant there will be a set of dvds sent to the dealer in the next few months. There would be an accompanying TSB and or recall depending on what the update is bundled with.

As for a resolution to the ipod you can get a 32G (max I think?) memory stick, until the problem is resolved or at least isolated. Although a power on voltage spike is possible, the car does run on 12v and the ipod can't handle anything more than 5v.

Have you tried reformatting either of the toasted ipods?

I personally am leaning toward going back to Acura, the 2012 TL AWD

It might be a good thing. You have the first of the first....typically a few bugs.
Is there anything that isn't horrible with your M?
Many of the high end dealers in my area hit the same happy hour. There are some interesting conversations at MB and BMW, they all have buggy new software. You should keep complaining on the 12 model comes out maybe they will cut you a deal.

[DallasM37]

I personally am leaning toward going back to Acura, the 2012 TL AWD fixes most of the stlying issues, and their electonics are better than anything else I have seen. They added cooled seats and BSW and I'll save over the M and with SH-AWD it is glue on the road. I owned numerous TLs and always had a thumb drive or something hooked up 7x24 and never had issues, their BT is crystal clear and their NAV is awesome, and unlock everyone else it is fully operational while moving. Also their ELS sound system beats Infinity BOOMY Bose.

I had a '93 Acura Legend. I loved that car. It had the smoothest brakes of any car I've ever driven. I wasn't crazy about the TL's new body style in 2011 but you're right, it's probably a great car.

[DallasM37]

That makes sense. Ipods are painfully sensitive. I would start with replacing the cable, for some reason those cables crap out semi frequently. There have been bugs noted in the newer ipod software that make random error messages fairly commonly. There are several devices that have to work properly to keep everyone talking. The newest Apple software update had a security verification update that has caused an error with many plug in devices, on the touch interface devices but I am unaware of a change to the smaller devices.

Infiniti and Nissan pay a team of geeks to figure these issues out. If there is anything relevant there will be a set of dvds sent to the dealer in the next few months. There would be an accompanying TSB and or recall depending on what the update is bundled with.

As for a resolution to the ipod you can get a 32G (max I think?) memory stick, until the problem is resolved or at least isolated. Although a power on voltage spike is possible, the car does run on 12v and the ipod can't handle anything more than 5v.

Have you tried reformatting either of the toasted ipods?

I did try replacing the cable but it had no impact on the issue. Formatting the iPod is a good suggestion though. No one has tried that yet.

Not to be a whiner but I think the problem with the memory stick workaround is that I'd lose the ability to have playlists. Probably not a huge big deal, but smooth integration with the iPod was one of the reasons I bought this car. It seemed much more technologically advanced than the 2010 Genesis or my 2007 Lexus. I do understand about new models having bugs, but I go back to what I said earlier, it's not like this is the first time anyone integrated an MP3 player into an automobile. I believe they've had enough practice that they should be able to do it correctly now.

Thanks again for the formatting suggestion. No one had thought of it and it's easy enough to try.

[SteveTheTech]

They have been trying since 2007. Infininitis' technology has been pretty consistent for the last several years once it gets to the audio control unit, so the folder layout and search structure or the OS have been working fine for a while. The connector has changed and the boxes under the dash the control the integration functions have changed, which should have resolved some of the bugs, but....

In 08 you could only use an ipod with the proprietary cable...people hated that because you could only use an ipod. Ipod owners hated that when they bought ipod touch and iphones and would not get them to charge due to the fact the charging cable was updated by Apple with no concern to the third party companies they licensed their technology to.

If you want to try something different use the Bluetooth streaming with your mobile device and listen to some Stitcher Radio or Pandora. I have dropped my Zune for Pandora a while back and haven't regretted it.

These third party software issues have been driving me as an Infiniti enthusiast a little crazy, these are devices they bought from other companies in some cases and they either do not work, or are not understood well enough...not by the owners alone. I bet you would be hard pressed to find more than 5 people in Infiniti that can tell you exactly how the usb drive works on your M. Stupid little bugs have people looking the performance and real tech features (Safety Shield and Zero Speed Cruise, literally let the car drive itself in traffic...I love that feature).

Talking with your service department contact is a great way to find out what they know but in my time here I have seen the same dealer tell two people with the same issue two completely different things. Heck, I saw that at work this morning. Dealer principal (franchise) is the end of the line for information.

[SteveTheTech]

FYI- the new M is the only model I can think of that controls everything through the AV computer.
Any inclination otherwise in my above wall o text is wrong.

[bhrees]

best thing to do is buy a USB thumb drive, 4 or 8 gig cost less than 15 $ load your music plug it in and forget about it, what good is the Ipod if you dedicate it to the car? you still control the shuffle with the car

[DallasM37]

Steve, I performed a reformat and a firmware upgrade on the iPod last night and it worked!

Don't know which did the trick, but I think as long as I can remember to unplug it every time I turn off the car (not extremely likely), I'll be OK. Thanks again! Trying that probably would not have occurred to me.

If they come up with a fix for it I'll keep the car. I really love the styling and drive. It's spectacular. I don't see myself calling them every few weeks and complaining; it's more aggravation in my life than I need. If they don't solve the problem probably I'll go back to the GS. It's a shame too, since the M is a much better looking and driving car.

bhrees: Thanks, that had been an earlier suggestion. My concern with that workaround is my assumption that I'd lose the ability to use playlists. I thought I'd just be able to organize the tracks by folder and within that alpha sort. Perhaps I am being too demanding, but that isn't anything I could be happy with long-term. If Infiniti makes a selling point of iPod integration, and they do, then they should provide it. And hopefully not in a way that kills them.

[SteveTheTech]

If they come up with a fix for it I'll keep the car. I really love the styling and drive. It's spectacular. I don't see myself calling them every few weeks and complaining; it's more aggravation in my life than I need. If they don't solve the problem probably I'll go back to the GS. It's a shame too, since the M is a much better looking and driving car.

Now that is honest.

I try to keep on top of these types of things and go through the updated TSBs on a daily basis. If I see something I will try to head back this way and let you know.

I personally find it kind of interesting that despite so many Pros for the M one Con has you ready to go back to a boring old GS.
To each their own and I am not judging your decisions. I think it is a little interesting to see what people use as determining factors in new car purchases.

[c210pilot]

Just so you know, if you have the iPod plugged in when you start the car it sends a surge of electricity to the iPod from the large surge of power being drawn into the car at start. This can easily kill things like iPods. These MP3 players are made as cheaply as possible at a giant warehouse in China with people working 12+ hour work days, they have no advanced surge protection and power regulation. Cowon has the best power regulation and electronics in MP3 players, but even that isnt something super amazing.

No. NO NO NO NO NO. NO!! Even to begin to explain why NO is NO would take an essay of epic proportion. To save you the details, how many factory steroes have you known to go up in smoke when you start the car?

now, however, your false claim does have roots in a truth, and that truth has been reality for many people that have installed aftermarket systems and have bypassed the factory wiring, i.e. amp, stereo, computer, camera, you name it, directly wired to the battery.

what is more probably the issue is that the voltage regualtors for the USB port are cheap cheap cheap cheap, here is where the sesnsitive electronics bit comes in

[c210pilot]

best thing to do is buy a USB thumb drive, 4 or 8 gig cost less than 15 $ load your music plug it in and forget about it, what good is the Ipod if you dedicate it to the car? you still control the shuffle with the car

absofreakinlutely! i bought a 2gb el cheapo from fry's for my GF.

pro: she loves it and it was $20

con: can't use ipod controls

conclusion, see the pro comment, and it was $20.

when the nissan software engineers get their heads out of their collective a**, um where was i going....something about an iPhone not working cuz it isn't an iPod?!?!?!??